Automatic sheet-feeding mechanism.



F. m. QUMRAN, AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING mcsmnsm.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 19, i918. l Pffmemed 22, MDM

AWM-

DY f n a f 'e @MJ/LLM F, M. QUMRAN. AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING mori/ums@ APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1918.

Patented 225. FMS;

4 SHEETS-Swim" 2- mwww@ F. M, CUNRN.

AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MEcHANssM. APPLICATION FILED MAH.19. |918. l 93126560 u Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

F. M. CONRAN.

AUTOMATIC SHEET FEEDING MECHANISIVI.

APPLICANON FILED MAR.19, 191s.

Patented Apr. 22, 19M.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

FREDERXCK M. CQNRAN, F ELEZABETH, NEW JERSEY, ASSLGNGEZ T@ THE METALS PLATING COMPANY,

F NEW YORK, N. Y., .A COMPUEJATION 0F NEW J' AUTGEATIC SHEET-FERMIN@ MEGHANSM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr., 191m..

@internat application med, October 31, 1917, Serial No. 199,416. Divided and this application filed lmarch. 1e,

T o all whom z't'mag/ concern.' v

Be it known that L Fimonnicn M. CON RAN., a citizen of the United States, residing' at i, 778 Newark avenue, Elizabeth, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic Sheet-Feeding Mechanism; and if do hereby declare the following; to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersl skilled in the art to which it apport-aine to make and use the same;

The present invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism and has for an object the provision of a mechanism wherebyv sheets of material may be put in position to be lifted one at a. time from the top of ai st-ack of sheets and fed successively therefrom.

lin order to bring the top sheet of the stack in proper position to be removed, the invention comprises feedin devices by means of which the stack of heats is raised after each top sheet has been removed. rFhe mechanism may be used for a wide lvariety of purposes and in combination with many forms of mechanism in which the sheets are to be subsequently operated upon.

Other objects' and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from a detailed description of certain preferred em.- ibodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which Figure l is a side elevation of one embodiment of the machine as viewed from the right showing the same in combination with the mechanism to which the sheets of material are to be fed for subsequent treatment; Fig. l2 is a side elevation of the same machine as viewed from the left; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the machine; and Fig. t is ary sectional elevation along the line i4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referringto the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views, indicates the foundation or base plate of the machine above which project side frames 21. Flach side frame is provided with a vertical slot. The edges of the slots are provided with guideways 22 which extend slightly bevond the faces of the side frames. Upon the inside face of each side frame and adjacent one edge of the slot is a guideway 23, the.

face of which is right angles to the face of guideway 22. Mounted to slide upon the guideways 22 and other rollers a table 29 which lthe sides frames 21.

1era. serial' no. eaaasi.

each side frame 21'is a bracket 2A provided with rollers 25 fitting between and enmiggjinigr 26 which engage the guideways 23. A cross bar 2( connects the brackets together and holds them in position with their rollers 26 against the guideways '23. Each bracket is provided with inwardly extendingl shelves 28 which in connection with the cross bar 27 support maybe adjusted transversely of the machine by means of bolts 30. The sheets of material indicated by A are placed upon` this table.

@n the rear face of each bracket 2A is a rack bar 31 meshing1 with pinions 32 mounted on stub shafts .33 and 34 mounted in bearings on the ends of brackets 35 and 36 respectively, attached to and proj ectinp; from Mounted on shaft 33 between bracket 35 and the .corresponding side frame 21 is agear 37. A similar gear 38 is mounted on shaft 34: between the bracket 33 and 'corresponding side frame of the machine.l The lgear wheels 3'? and 38 are driven by pinions 39 mounted on lshaft 40 which extends across the machine and is engages a pinion e fixed to a shaft 46 mounted in bearingsin the bracket 36 and the correspondingside frame 2l. Also mounted on the same shaft is a ratchet wheel 4:7. lilooselv mounted upon the shaft 46 between a pinion A5 and ratchet wheel 4:7 is an arm 48 which carries paw] i9 which engages the teeth of ratchet wheel 47. A holding' pawl 50 is mounted on the side frame 21 to ratchet whee vlfhe automatic feeding mechanism is, by way of ilinstration., shown in combination with a machine for coating the sheets of materiali. nly the forward end of 'the coating machine is shown in the drawings. YThis portion comprises a frame 51 in which mounted shaft 52 adapted to be driven a sprecati. wheei chair. et rainning to the other sprocket wheel, not shown, associated with the driving mechanism of the coating machine. idounted upon one end of the shaft 52 is a cam 55 adapted to engage a roiier 56 on the end ot an 57 pivoted at 58 to the frame 5i on the coating mochine. Pivoted to arm 57 and to arm 48 at 60 is a iink 6i.. To iimit lthe forward travei oi arm 57 an adjusting screw 62 is mounted in a bracket 63 attached to the rame o." the coating; machine. Arm 57 is drawn against the end ci adjusting screw 62 by spring 64e. o

For the purpose oi3 permitting the tabie 29 to be ioivered in oase it is desired to obtain access to the sheets of motorini, a hand wheel 65k is mounted on shaft 3st .in-side ot frame When the clutch members il and i3 are disengaged, L@gear vvheeis 37 and 38 and the pinions and rnckbars which connect these gears to the siiding frame which supports the table, Wouid be free to turn under the we of the e and the sheets there on. To prevent action roin taking piace. a brake shoe 36 engagn'r the hand wheei G5 is provided. rihis i e shoe is pivoted to the side iframe 36 at and its Jree upper end is by means of a iinir 63 connected to lever 69 pivoted at to the ei;- tension oit the side frame. arm 7iis attached 'to the side iframe 36 by hoits 'i2 and this arm is provvide neer its upjer end with spring-arm 7 3 which extends adjacent the iever 42- bv which -the clutch member di is iihis sprinfr arm is pro i ided With a ing 'Hi which en; A3es e iup; near the upper end ot arm when the ciutch iever #i2 is in the position throw the chit-ch inemhers o engage with each other. 1Wha-in t ciutch iev is thrown-so that the ciutch. embers are engaged. oring arm *i 'wir he pushed outivardiy 'so disengage the ings "is and i 5 and ier/ er 69 Wiii be drawn toward the arm 'ii voy a spril` iii connectin@1 'the uoper end or the iever ord the upper end oit tins' arm. Movement o' ver 69 Wiii be communicated through iinir 63 to the brairesi ter to hear iirmiy ce and prevent any rotation ci. the gears essociated with th" hond Wheeh and hence prevent any do nvfard movement of the t which f e sheets are supported. the ch iever is cinto 'e toY itis posh' i f' on the c gagement ii,

N f3 J..

dohenfisrn to piie tj moved i, is contin'eoi nechine monete and the cani 55 engages the roiier 56 on the end of arm 57 once during each revoiution of shaft 5:2. The movement imparted Vto arm 57 Wiii, through the iink 6i, cause a corresponding movement 02E the arm 48, and the pawi 49, mounted thereon, Wiii engage the ratchet wheei 47 to rotate the same step hv step. This movement et the ratchet wheel xviii be communicated through shaft to and pinion i5 to gear Wheei 44, but uniess the ciutch members ii and 4-3 are in engagement the rotation of gear vvheei 44C xviii have no eect in moving the tabie on which the sheets are supported. "it, however, the ciutch members ii and i3 are drawn into engagement by means of hand iever 4t2, the step by step movement of gear wheel 44 vviii be communicated to the shaft i0., and the iever vviii, through the pinions 39, cause the corresponding step by step move-ment oi the gear Wheeis 3i' and 33 -which xviii be. imparted 'to the pinions 32 mounted upon the same stub shafts 33 and 3i as are these gear Wheeis. The resuit Wiii be that the rack bars 3i which engage the T pinions 32 vviii be given step hy step movesuccessive sheets into position to be removed.

This distance wiii correspond to the thickness of the sheets which nre to be removed from the stack pins such additionai movement as may' he required to maire up for the 'fact that 'sheets mov be siifhtiv seoau n l.

rated due to impurities or rust upon their surface. proper caiibretion of the sdjusiing screw 62, the iifting action oil the apparatus may be eccnrateiy adjusted to suit the particuiar sheets that are being removed.

The mechanism for removing the sheets one at a time from the top of the stach oi sheets comprises a suction device for iiiting the rear edge of the topmost sheet into position to he engaged by traveiing gripping members which convey the sheet ori `(ci the top or? the stack of sheets, the 'forward moveent ot' the sheet being aciiitated bq'j an air front of sheets ig/ing heiienth 'the topmost ast which is directed under the toprnost the same 'will not be further described herein.

l claiml. Insheet feeding mechanism, the combina-tion of a pair of slotted supports provided with guides along the edges of the slots and upon the inner face of each support adjacent onel edge of the slot therein, movable members mounted upon the supports and having rollers within the slots engaging the guides along the edges thereof and other rollers engaging the guides upon the inner faces of the supports, sheet holding means adjustably mounted between and supported upon the movable members, a rack bar attached to each 'movable member, a set of gears operatively connected to each rack bar, and means `for producing an intermittent actuation of the said sets of gears to impart a step-by-step movement to the rack bars to raise progressively the sheet holdin means.

2. In sheet feeding mechanism, t el combination of a pair of supports, means slidably mounted on said supports for holding astack of sheets, a rack bar attached to each side of the holding means, a pinion engaging each rack bar, a gear wheel associated with each pinion, a lshaft provided with pinions. engaging both of said gear Wheels, a ratchet' wheel, a gear loosely mounted on said shaft, a pinion connecting said ratchet wheel to. the last named gear, a clutch for connecting the last named gear to the shaft upon which.

it is looselyv mounted, a pawl associated with the ratchet wheel, a drivin@ sha-ft, means operated by said driving shaft and connected to the pawl whereby an intermittent movement may be imparted to the ratchet wheel to cause an intermittent movement of the sheet holding means, and means for adj usting the movement of said pawl to control the lifting movement imparted to the sheet holding means.l

'3. In sheet feeding mechanism, lthe combination of a pair of supports, members slidably mounted on the supports, sheet holding means mounted Ibetween and supported upon the members, brackets attached to theV out side of each support, a stub shaft mounted in each bracket, a rack bar associated with each member, a pinion mounted on each stub shaft engaging the corresponding rack bar, a gear wheel von each stub shaft, a shaft mounted in said supports, pinions on said shaft engaging both of said gear wheels, a ratchet \vheel,clutch mechanism for operatively connecting said ratchet vvheel to said shaft, a driving shaft, and means operated by the driving shaft for actuating the ratchet Wheel to `impart anv intermittent movement to the shaft mounted in the snpports to cause an intermittent movement of the sheet holding means..

4. In sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of slotted supports, guideways at the edges ofthe slots, a movable member slidably mounted on each support and provided with rollers engaging the guideways, means mounted between the movable members for holding a stack of bination of a. pair of slotted supports provided with guides along the edges of the slots and upon the inner face of each support adjacent one edge of the slot, movable members mounted upon the supportsand having rollers within the slots engaging the guides along the edges thereof, other rollers engaging thel guides upon the inner faces of the supports, sheet. holding means adjustably mounted between and supported upon the movable members, a. rack bar associated with eac-h movable member, a pinion engaging each rack bar, a gear willeel for driving each pinion, a shaft provided with inions for driving both of said gear whee s, a clutch member slidably mounted on said shaft, a coperating clutch member rotatably mounted on said shaft, means for putting said clutch members into engagement with each. other, a gear associated with the rotatable clutch member, a pinion meshing with said last named gear, a ratchet wheel operatively connected to said pinion, a pawl associated with the ratchet wheel, a driving shaft, a

cam on the driving shaft, means operated hy the cam and connected to the pawl whereby an intermittent movementmay be imparted to the ratchet wheel to cause an intermittent lifting of tfhe sheet holding means when said clutch members are in engagement, and means for adjusting the movement ofy said pawl to control the lifting movement imparted to the sheet holding means.

6. ln sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of supports, means slidably 4 mounted on said supports for holding` a stack of sheets, a rack bar attached to each side of the holding means, a pinion engaging each rack bar, a gear wheel for driving each pinr ion, ashaft provided with pinions for driv- :ing both of said gear wheels, a ratchet wheel, clutch mechanism for operatively connecting said ratchetwheel to said shaft, a pawl associated with the ratchet wheel, a driving shaft, a cam on the driving shaft, means operated bythe cam and connected with the 'pavvl whereby an intermittent movement may be imparted to the ratchet wheel to cause an intermittent lifting of sheet dit titi' dii llt@

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movement of said Apawl to control the lifting Vmovement imparted to the sheet holding means. i

7. ln sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of supports, means movably mounted on the supports for holding a stack of sheets, rack bars associated with said sheet holding means, :a set of gears operativelyconnected to each rack bar, a shaft and gears for driving said sets of gears in unison, a shaft adapted to be continuously driven and provided with.

a cam, a ratchet, aset of gears operatively connected to said ratchet, a pawl associated with said ratchet and adapted to be intermittently actuated by said cam, and means .for

operatively connecting the first named shaft and gears to the last named set of gears to cause an intermittent movement to be imparted to the sheet holding means. 8. ln sheet feeding mechanism, the combination of supports, means movably mounted on the supports for holding a stack of sheets, rack bars associated with said sheet holding means, a set of gears associated with the rack bars, a shaft adapted to be continuously driven, a'second set of gears, means actuated by the shaftI for producing an intemittent movement of the second set of gears, means for operatively connecting the rst named set of gears to thesecond set of gears to cause an intermittent movement to be imparted to the sheet holding means, and braking means for on the supports for holding a stack of sheets,

rack bars associated with said sheet holding means, a set of gears associated with the raclr Leonesa bars, a shaft adapted to be continuously driven, a second set of gears, means actuated by the shaft for producing an intermittent movement of the second set of gears, means for operatively connecting the first named set of gears to the second set of gears to cause an intermittent movement to be imparted to the sheet holding means, braking means for preventing motion of said rst set of gears when disconnected from the second set of gears, and means under control of the connecting means -for controlling vthe operation of the braking means.

ducing an intermittent actuation of thev ratchet wheel to impart a step-byy-steplifting movement to the sheet holding means, a hand wheel associated with one of said stu-b shafts,-

a brake operatively connected to said hand wheel, and operative connections between said clutch members 'and said brake so constructed that when said clutch members are disengaged from each other said brake will be in engagement with said hand wheel to prevent downward movement of said sheet holding means ln'testimony whereof l amr my signature.

FREDERICK M. CONRAN. 

